NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A 60-year-old man pleaded guilty on Wednesday for his role in running a clandestine Chinese “police station” in New York as part of a campaign to monitor and harass US-based dissidents.

Chen Jinping, 60, faces up to five years in prison for conspiring to act as an illegal agent of the Chinese government, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Chen and another man, “Harry” Lu Jianwang, were arrested in April of last year and accused of operating a secret police station in Manhattan for China’s Ministry of Public Security.

“Today’s guilty plea holds (Chen) accountable for his brazen efforts to operate an undeclared overseas police station on behalf of (China’s) national police force — a clear affront to American sovereignty,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen said.

Robert Wells, a senior Federal Bureau of Investigation official, said Chen’s case is “a stark reminder of the insidious efforts taken by the (Chinese) government to threaten, harass, and intimidate those who speak against their Communist Party.”

“These blatant violations will not be tolerated on US soil,” Wells said.

Lu has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.